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User talk:Lar

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Note:

Interpersonal communication does not work when messages are left on individual users' talk pages rather than threaded, especially when a third party wishes to read or reply.

Being a "bear of very little brain", I get easily confused when trying to follow conversations that bounce back and forth, so I've decided to try the convention that many others seem to use, aggregation of messages on either your talk page or my talk page. If the conversation is about an article I will try to aggregate on the article's talk page.

  • If the conversation is on your talk page or an article talk page, I will watch it.
  • If the conversation is on my talk page or an article talk page and I think that you may not be watching it, I will link to it in a note on your talk page, or in the edit summary of an empty edit. But if you start a thread here, please watch it.

I may mess up, don't worry, I'll find it eventually.


My real name is Larry Pieniazek and I like wikipedia:LEGO(r) Brand building elements. Feel free to mail me with comments or concerns. I will archive this page if/when there is a need but will not delete comments. I reserve the right to refactor by moving comments under headings, adding headings, and so forth but will never change comment order in a way that changes meaning.

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Welcome

Hi Lar! Welcome to the Great Lakes Wiki. Any advice for your experience would be welcome. --Sysop 20:11, 1 Feb 2007 (EST)

Hello back. I'm not sure how much I can contribute here, Wikipedia and Commons keep me busy but I would love to help you as time permits. Do you have a Village Pump like area to ask and answer questions? I went to Community Portal to look for it but didn't spot it.. I have a few questions about transwiki-ing things, and about proper credit to Wikipedia, I've set up some templates for that as well... How much experience do you guys have editing on Wikipedia? Have you got popups working here yet? (lots of questions :) ) Do you have the latest version of the interwiki DB loaded so that one can just say w: to reference an article in wikipedia? I'm using span to give that effect for now... Lar 20:18, 1 Feb 2007 (EST)
Hi again. I have some experience editing Wikipedia, but am by no means expert. We're continuing to learn, so hopefully can get our help pages more formed. We've been borrowing from the Wikipedia help, but are also trying to attribute when we do that. Definitely let me know when that's not happening. The role between this and Wikipedia is interesting. We see this definitely more on the newsish side rather than the pedia side, so hopefully we're not replicating too much. Your pages on the Thornapple on Wikipedia are a good example of where crossover is going to happen though. My email is lampecli@msu.edu, I'd love to talk offline and get your thoughts.--Cliff 10:32, 2 Feb 2007 (EST)
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Image licensing

Refactored to User_talk:IanWalker#Copyright ++Lar: t/c 20:07, 12 September 2007 (EDT)

Another thread refactored to User_talk:Jallison#Upload_of_Image:Usdalogo.png ++Lar: t/c 12:43, 8 November 2007 (EST)

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Licensing problem with Image:Jgranholm.gif

Refactored to User talk:Jallison#Licensing problem with Image:Jgranholm.gif ++Lar: t/c 09:43, 21 September 2007 (EDT)

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gibberish

Hi Lar, I've notice recently that someone or something is adding just a little bit of gibberish at the beginning of several of our pages. What's up with that? Dave

It's a vandal bot, I think. I revert it as I see it, and block the IP address that it comes from but they seem to just choose another one to come in on. When you see it please use "undo" on the diff ( via page history) to roll it back. (and to anyone reading this, if you're an admin, block the IP that did it) I am investigating to see if we can stop this. Worst comes to worst it may be necessary may have to block anons from editing altogether but I'd rather not see that happen. We could use more admins that can block, let's talk some time... ++Lar: t/c 21:19, 26 September 2007 (EDT)
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vandals

Lar, thanks for the spam fight. I noted your comments on my page. For any technical stuff or requests, please note on Cliff's page. I have a student who says you have blocked him. He doesn't believe that he posted anything inappropriately and that it must be an accident. Can you unblock him? He gets this message: Your current IP address is 24.11.15.90 and the block ID is #167. I hope that's enough info. Let me know otherwise. Thanks, Dave —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Dave (talk • contribs) 15:39, 19 October 2007

That was a bad block, I was blocking/reverting pretty fast at that point... I've unblocked, and if he is still having trouble, please have him log in using an ID and leave me a message. Note that you can unblock if you go here and you are a sysop... Sorry for any inconvenience. ++Lar: t/c 21:56, 19 October 2007 (EDT)
Will do. Thanks again for all of your hard work. Dave
You were busy today. Are we at the point where we should consider registered users only? Dave
Maybe... I've been semiprotecting some of the pages although I suspect that will just push around where the vandalism happens. ++Lar: t/c 21:38, 25 October 2007 (EDT) (don't forget to sign with 4 tildes so you get a date stamp too :) )

Thanks, I'm a member of Dave's class at MSU. Hell of a lot better than some classes I've taken...


I'll make sure to contact you with any technical questions

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Stuff disappearing

Lar, we once had help pages built just for this Wiki. I cannot find the links off the main page. Also, I used to get a toolbar when I signed in. I no longer do. It seems to be an issue in firefox and explorer. Any idea where this stuff went? Thanks. Dave 14:26, 12 November 2007 (EST)

No idea, what skin are you using? the default? I should switch to the default skin and see, I run monobook (so all my wikis look the same to me)... Also do you remember the name of some of the help files, I can look for them and see "what links here". How long ago did things go awry? I haven't been tinkering under the hood for ages (although I am really thinking we need to make some changes relating to anons) ++Lar: t/c 14:32, 12 November 2007 (EST)
I use default; switched to monobook and didn't find a help link then. If you enter help into search and hit go, you reach the local help pages. "What links to here" seems to indicate that help is a link on the main page and elsewhere, but I can't see it and I don't recall where it once was. The local help page has a help button at the top, but that's the only page. I still don't get a toolbar. I don't know how long things have been like this as I haven't really needed it. I just noticed. If you think you're losing the spambot war, it's OK by me if we went to registered users only. I think Cliff would agree. Dave 12:15, 13 November 2007 (EST)
Ok the help stuff I think maybe is because I changed the sidebar/toolbox to go to some wp pages and etc... I can change that again, please just give me the pages (wikilinks to them) that you want linked in and I will fix it. I reemember the pages, they use screenshots to explain process and are nice work... the Toolbar I am maybe not quite sure what you mean by it, can you give me a screen shot??? or more words? Is it the tabs along the top? Other users have the problem too? I am late for the airport, will look whne I get where I am going. ++Lar: t/c 15:52, 13 November 2007 (EST)
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Help resources

There is quick start here: http://greatlakeswiki.org/index.php/How_can_I_quickly_get_started%3F

The camtasia help videos are here: http://greatlakeswiki.org/index.php/Help

I don't recall where they were linked - off the toolbox, but it seems like there was a navigation button for help. You can see such a button at the base of the state icon on this page http://greatlakeswiki.org/index.php/Help I'm not sure of best way to do this; but I know that users need all the help they can get. Despite the simplicity of wikis, the learning curve is too much for many of our potential contributors. Also, a handy toolbar used to show up when I edited stories; it is no longer there. Thanks Dave 13:23, 14 November 2007 (EST)

I will see what I can do about getting more links into the sidebar for these helps. I'm not sure about what you mean by the toolbar, is it something with buttons at the top of the edit box that help you format, bold, colors, links, nowiki, math formulas and the like? I have one here but it has only stock buttons. Have you played with any of your javascript? (I have a pretty stock monobook.js here but look at my monobook.js on english wikipedia, I have a lot more buttons in that format helper there) That can cause the format buttons to go away.
Note, your last edit deleted a fair bit of my talk page, I restored it. Walk the diffs to see what I mean. (no harm done though!) ++Lar: t/c 15:47, 14 November 2007 (EST)
OK, I've tried a few changes to the sidebar, I now see more choices. See what you think. If you have more pages you want to edit, the page is MediaWiki:sidebar, and the format should be obvious I think. I am not sure what the story on the buttons not being there is. Yet. ++Lar: t/c 16:08, 14 November 2007 (EST)
Nice improvement. At least the help is there. By toolbar I meant exactly what you are indicating - something with buttons for basic formats, bold, signature, links, etc. It used to show when I logged on. Others have told me likewise. Now we don't see it. Are you indicating that this is a user issue rather than provider?
I see those buttons, in fact right now while I type this, they are there. So I don't know exactly what is wrong, I will dig into it. If many other people are also not seeing them, it is something about the default config I guess, or something different about me. I'll ask on the developer IRC channel when I get a chance. As for the helps, where were they before? Are there additional ones I should add to the sidebar?? ++Lar: t/c 21:49, 15 November 2007 (EST) (Ps don't forget to sign your posts with 4 ~)
I think (but am not sure) that there used to be a Help button that was part of the string of buttons across the top for article, discussion, edit, watch, etc. In fact, if you go to the help contents link that you put under navigation, a help button appears in that string on that page. Speaking of that button string, I can no longer see all of them. I can get article, discussion, edit, history, protect, delete, move and half of what I think may be the watch/unwatch button. I used to have that problem when I neglected to log on. Now I have it all the time. But maybe these issues are a problem from my end. I'm using firefox and also noted it on explorer.Dave 09:48, 16 November 2007 (EST)
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Maps

Lar, I have a couple students who have been working up some Google Maps. They would like to add them to the Wiki. They did some investigating and say that there is a Wiki extension to allow for embedding Google maps. Is this the kind of thing you can help out on, or can you suggest how it can be accomodated? Thanks. Dave 13:46, 20 November 2007 (EST)

I'm pretty weak at actually installing extensions. I'm not averse to trying, in fact I would love to, but it would be best to do it at a time when someone that also has root access could rescue me if i blew something up. While we're tinkering might be a good time to also change the edit permissions to turn off anons perhaps. Please ask the students to post here with the info about what the extension is called and where I can read about it. There are some other need mapping projects out there, see for example wikimapia and openstreetmap ++Lar: t/c 14:17, 20 November 2007 (EST)
Hey Lar - Dave mentioned to me that you wanted information on that Google Maps Extension we were looking at. Well, here you go: http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Extension:Google_Maps
It doesn't look too hard provided you have admin access on the server itself (which I don't know if you do), and some basic PHP knowledge (again, I'm not sure what you know). My PHP is spotty at best (I can read and understand some of it, but that's about it), but I know Cliff could help out with it, provided he's got the time right now. That's about all I know at the moment.
Using it, however, seems pretty easy. Not the easiest it could be, but not too bad either. Ian! 11:11, 21 November 2007 (EST)
HI... from [1] it says ". Go sign up for a Google Maps API key from [2]." ... did you do that already? If so can you mail me (don't post here) the info/key/whatever? If not, I can do that. I am not too scared by PHP. I do have shell access to the server. I'll see if I can do some of this over the weekend. Thanks.. ++Lar: t/c 15:57, 21 November 2007 (EST)
My apologies I did not actually get anywhere on this, this weekend... the question about the key is still open to my thinking though. ++Lar: t/c 15:15, 26 November 2007 (EST)
Yeah, I got an API Key. I don't have your email. If you can email me at walkeri1 (eht) msu (daht) edu, I'll send it along your way. Ian! 16:33, 26 November 2007 (EST)
Just use the "email this user" link at left, my email's enabled. I'd advise against posting emails in cleartext, the spambots harvest those... ++Lar: t/c 22:51, 26 November 2007 (EST)
Actually it doesn't work here, not sure why. ++Lar: t/c 10:41, 30 November 2007 (EST)
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Security Question?

Hey Lar, I noticed that lately I haven't had to solve a math equation even when I'm putting up a link. Is this permanent? Could it lead to more spammers or anything like that? Jallison 02:50, 30 November 2007 (EST)

Cliff changed some settings in the user config/security area to turn off anon posting entirely. I'm not sure if this was an intended or unintended side effect. :) ++Lar: t/c 10:27, 30 November 2007 (EST)
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Where the responsibility lies

I blame Sparty for this dastardly side effect...

clearly Cliff takes orders from him!
Here is where Sparty lives:

  However if you think Cliff acted alone

(the lone admin theory),
you should go here instead:

<googlemap lat="42.731221" lon="-84.487782" zoom="17" width="300" height="300"> 42.731, -84.487567, Sparty, the mascot of MSU </googlemap>

 

<googlemap lat="42.722518" lon="-84.481521" zoom="17" width="300" height="300"> 42.722518,-84.481521, Cliff's office </googlemap>

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Answering the actual question

I was so busy playing around (above) that I forgot to answer the question. Hopefully with the changes put in place, the security question is no longer needed to defend us. If we see an increase in new users that are likely to just be created to circumvent the anon block, something else may need to be done. (and I agree with Cliff when he says it is too bad that we have now locked anons out, it's a bit against the wiki spirit... but they were a lot of the total traffic, pure vandalistic edits of no possible use. ++Lar: t/c 10:50, 30 November 2007 (EST)

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Toolbar buttons

I so love the google map feature. I teach a class next semester where I can assign students to create maps here. I think they add a lot. I use the default skin which is the one with the Great Lakes. It now has the google maps button at the top. It does not have the rest of the toolbar. The other skins have all of the buttons. Any idea on how to make sure they're installed on the default as well? I may bounce off of Cliff, too. Dave 16:50, 4 December 2007 (EST)

I don't use that skin... That this button appears in that skin is VERY interesting. That all the buttons appear in other skins suggests it's somehow related to that skin I guess. I know you asked me about it before but I'm not sure what happened... bouncing this off Cliff is probably a good idea. ++Lar: t/c 00:18, 5 December 2007 (EST)
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